Chapter 3: The Boardroom Coup
Chapter 3: The Boardroom Coup
By the time Andrew reached the corporate headquarters in an overpriced taxi, he was a mess.
His hair was unkempt.
His designer suit was wrinkled.
He burst through the revolving glass doors, ready to demand answers from his board of directors.
Instead, he hit a physical wall.
Two massive security guards blocked his path to the elevators.
"Move," Andrew growled. "I am the CEO."
"Not anymore, Mr. Sterling," the front desk receptionist said.
She didn't sound sympathetic.
She sounded relieved.
Andrew looked past the guards.
In the center of the lobby, workers were actively dismantling the stainless-steel letters of his company's name.
They were replacing them with sleek, black letters.
E - S - C - A - L - A - N - T - E.
"The board held an emergency meeting at 6:00 AM," a familiar voice echoed across the lobby.
Andrew turned.
It was his Chief Financial Officer, Robert.
"Robert!" Andrew shouted. "What the hell is going on? We need to freeze assets, hire lawyers—"
"We did hire lawyers, Andrew," Robert said calmly.
"Escalante Holdings attorneys."
Robert adjusted his glasses.
"Mariana didn't just save us from bankruptcy three years ago. She restructured the equity."
"She owned eighty-five percent of the voting shares through shell companies."
"She just invoked her right to liquidate the current leadership."
"You're fired, Andrew."
Andrew stumbled backward, the air knocked out of his lungs.
"Fired? From my own company?"
"It was never your company," Robert said, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper.
"You were a figurehead. A vanity project she kept around out of love."
"And last night, you threw that love away for a cheap mistress."
Robert handed him a small cardboard box.
"Here are your desk contents. Security will escort you out."
Andrew looked into the box.
Sitting right on top was a framed photo of him and Mariana.
The woman he slapped.
May you like
The woman he ordered to kneel.
The woman who just took the world out from under his feet.
